Portable roadside signal



.filllllllllllllllilil fllll 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ J H SPRENGERETAL PORTABLE ROADSIDE SIGNAL ct. M, 1958 Filed March 18, 1957 ct. 14,1958 J. H. SPRENGER ETAL 2,355,390

. PORTABLE ROADSIDE SIGNAL Filed March 18, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEY Oat. M, 1958 J. H. SPRENGER ET AL 2,855,890

PORTABLE ROADSIDE SIGNAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 T Filed March- 18, 1957.EI'E... EU

INVENTORS ATTORNEY- United States Patent PORTABLE ROADSIDE SIGNAL JohnH. Sprenger and Robert L. Jefferson, San Antonio, Tex.

Application March 18, 1957, Serial No. 646,682

1 Claim. (Cl. 116-173) This invention relates to signals and has specialreference to a portableroadside signal.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and light signalwhereby directions and warnings may be given to traflic passing along aroad. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device of thischaracter which is foldable to occupy small space when not in use andthus make the signal readily portable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel device of thischaracter wherein one part of the signal is of fabric, or other readilyfoldable material, so that it may be used as a wrapping for the frame ofsuch a signal.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention comprisescertain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts aswill be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing the portable roadside signal ina folded condition, while Figure 2 is a similar view of the oppositeside of said signal to that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a reduced view in side elevation of the signal in an openposition, while Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the opposite side ofthe signal.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 55, Figure3, and looking in the direction or the arrows.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the main section of the signal.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view in elevation, showing the fabric on whichthe sign is exposed, in position.

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 8--8,Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line 9- -9,Figure 7, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 10 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyon line 10-10, Figure 7, and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Figure 11 is an enlarged plan view of one of the eyelets shown in Figure14, while Figure 12 is a view of the opposite side of the eyelet.

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken on line 13-43, Figure 12 and lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary view of the fabric section on which thewarning word of the signal may be exposed.

Figure 15 is a reduced view in elevation showing another word of thesignal, while Figure 16 is a plan view of the fabric section used a Tic.

Figure 18 is a sectional view taken on line 18--18, Figure-17 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 19 is a plan view of the fabric section showing the word Cautionthereon.

Figure 20 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2020, Figure 19,and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 21 is a plan view of the fabric section showing the word Detourand an indicating hand.

Figure 22 is an enlarged plan view of the fabric section showing a studin the center thereof, while Figure 23 is an enlarged section taken online 2323, Figure 22, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 24 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the snapfasteners 27.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the main or staffsection of the signal device herein described which is hollow and ispreferably square in cross section (Figs. 9 and 10). This hollow section1 is provided on one side with a longitudinally extending slot 2,

which is closed at one end by reason of the handle structure 3 (Fig. 6)and is open at its upper end. The closing of the slot 2 at one endreinforces the structure of the main or staff section 1.

A member 4 (Figs. 1 and 2) is seated at one of its ends down in theprimary or staff section 1 and held in such seated position by means ofscrew 5. The outer end of the member 4 is seated in the inner end of thetop hollow section 6 and these two members 4 and 6 are held together bymeans of a screw 7. The top section 6 is, therefore, pivotally mountedupon the member 4.

The inner or bottom section 8 is hollow, and square in cross section,and is provided with a slot 2 similar to the other sections of thedevice. These slots 2 (Figs. 6 and 7) are provided for receiving theedges of the cloth section; the cloth section is for the exposure of thedesired word, such as Stop, Caution, Detour, and/ or Danger.

In the preferred embodiment (Figs. 1 and 2) thereare two bracing deviceseach comprising a link 9 and a link 10, said links being pivotallyconnected together at 11. The links are pivotally mounted upon the metalsections of the signal at 12. On link 9 is formed a socket 13 into whichfits a lug 14 when the two links are folded by reason of the metalsections being folded together.

The fabric section 15 is provided with metal eyelets 16 projectingoutwardly from the edges of said fabric, as shown in Figure 9. Also thefabric sections of the device are each provided with a central snapfastener 16a. Screw devices are employed, each device comprising afemale section 17 and a male section 18. The male section 18 extendsthrough the eyelet 16 into the female section 17, as clearly shown. Thusthe parts of the fabric section that have been threaded through the slot2 are secured in position.

The inner end of the block section 4 extends into the main section 1through the opening 19 (Fig. 6) and the block section 4 is seatedthrough this opening into the hollow slitted section 1, as shown inFigure 7. A lower member 20 has its inner. end extending throughsquarelike opening 21 (Fig. 6) and is fastened in this position by meansof screw 22. On the member 20 is hingedly mounted, at 23, the innersection 8.

Stud devices 24 (Fig. 10) .are employed on the hollow sections for thepurpose hereinafter described. Each.

stud 24 comprises a tapering self-threading screw 25 and a metallicapron 26 which covers the greater portion of the head of screw 25. Theapron 26 permits a suitable screw driver to be used to set the screwupon the hollow section 1. The hollow section supports the screw inposition with its inner end not exposed to injury and prevents theoperator from injuring his hands. A rubber hand grip 28 is placed on thelower end of the main section 1 as shown, to better enable the operatorto handle or manipulate the signal. p When the signal is to bestored,orothe-rwise not in use, it is preferably rolled in a compact form asshown clearly in Figures 1 and 2. Then the strap -29is partly wrappedaround the signal with ;the snap fastener '27 thereon placed upon thestud device for holding the signal in its closed position.

While we have described the preferred embodiment of this invention andillustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, certain minorchangesor alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to which thisinvention relates during the extensive manufacture of the same, and we,therefore, reserve the right to make such changes or alterations asshall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is; V p A device of the character described comprising amain staff section, an upper member affixed to the upper end portion ofsaid main staff, a lower member affixed to the main staff adjacent thelower end thereof, said members extending laterally in the samedirection from said main staff, an upper arm hinged to said uppermember,

a'lo'wer arm hinged to said lower member, linkage interconnecting eachof said arms with said main staff, said arms and said main staff eachprovided with an elongated slot, a fabric section having. eyeletsprojecting outwardly from certain edge portions thereof, said eyeletsextending into said slots, means carried by said arms and said staff forlocking said eyelets in their respective positions in said slots, latchmeans carried by each of said linkages for maintaining said arms inparallel relation to each other, a handle-mounted upon the lower end ofsaid main staff, said arms each being swingable toward said main staifto a position parallel thereto whereby to collapse said fabric section,and means on the staff for holding said fabricsectio'n in foldedcondition to said main staff when said arms are inisaid positionparallel to said main stafi.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS-975,-'l'14 Blank Nov. 8, 1910 1,312,126 Schmidt Aug. 5, 1919 2,072,573Vigliotti Mar. 2, '1937 2,447,075 'Madsen' Aug. 17, 1948 2,732,823Hanson Jan. 31, 1956

